Dogster

return to top

Growing Up Finnegan

To the Vet and Back

After doing a routine check on Finnegan (I always check him out for anything I need to bring to the Vet's attention), I noticed one of his molars had shattered. It looked pretty ugly to me, so I made a note to mention it to the Vet.

As we drove to the Vet's office, you could tell that Finn knew what was going on. He was not looking happy and had that knowing look that I get when I have to go to the dentist.

When we pulled in, he didn't want to get out of the car, but we finally trotted in and he was a very good lad. He sat on the scale (40.5 pounds) and waited next to me patiently as the office went about it's business.

We were called into the office and his eyes got wide as I stood up and walked toward the exam room. He did not want to go. I encouraged him, tried to coax him in, but he sat his ground. I finally had to pat his bum toward the door and tell him it's going to be ok.

We got into the office and he did his regular head-into-the-corder-of-the-room thinking we might not be able to see him there. Poor puppy.

I picked him up and placed him on the table, where he looked very very sad. The Vet, Dr. Neil McIntyre (absolutely fantastic vet in Burnaby) came in and we did his normal physical and then I pointed out the tooth. He told me it is a 'slab fracture' that has sheared the outside-cheek side of the tooth off.

In order to take a proper look at it, it would require Finn to be put under anesthetic, as the tooth may need to come out. He would check to see if the pulp was exposed and pull it if necessary.

This made me sad as he's just 2.5 years old, and this is his major chewing surface on the right side. But I wanted to do what is best for Finnegan so I brought him back the next morning.

If either one of us was nervous the previous day, we were *really* nervous now! As I left, he was scrabbling along the floor to get at me, while the nurse held him back telling him it would be ok. I would have his desperate attempt to come with me as I left burned into my brain the rest of the day.

Every minute I was away, I wanted that phone to ring to let me know he was ok and that the extraction went as planned. Finally, at about 12:30, I got a call: Finn was awake and fine and... he kept the tooth!!

Turns out the inside of the tooth was not compromised in the fracture, so he is fine! Celebration!

I went to pick him up a little later and the poor pup was so woozy he could barely stand, but he was jubilant to see me. I was so happy I almost cried.

I brought him home and put him on the bed before going off to teach my evening course. My little pup. So happy. :)

A Year Old!

It's been a year since Finnegan was born, and he has grown up to be a great pup! I'm sure he still has a bit of growing to do, but he has sure experienced a lot in his first go-round the sun.

He's had more than his share of mishaps resulting in vet visits, starting with a broken leg when he was just a few weeks old. After that, he stumbled through the year, but not without a lot of puppy verve and enthusiasm.

Each night, he joins me on the bed to curl up in a little "Finnebon" before finally sprawling out on his back, taking up as much room as possible.

He is a very experienced counter-surfer, leading to a whole new way of operating in the kitchen (push everything to the back of the counter, or find new room in cupboards).

After going a lot of years without a dog, FInnegan came into my life this year and has given me a lot of joy. I'm going to celebrate his birthday with some lovely treats, a play in the park with some of his dog friends and his favorite meal.

Happy Birthday Finnegan!

Weekends are great... for sleep

This weekend was a great one for the pup. There was a lot of running, jumping, playing, fighting (well, play fighting), chasing, retrieving, catching and ultimately, sleeping.

One of the hardest things that I find while trying to raise a pup is find time during the week to tire him out mentally and physically. I come home from work twice during the day for a walk, training and some play but he's a very active, intelligent dog that requires a lot of interaction.

So when the weekend comes around, both of us enjoy the extra time we spend together to run, jump, play... etc. The added benefit is the total exhaustion we both feel at the end of the day, and the extended quiet time/sleep reward.

Like my daily work, Finnegan's weekdays are all about school and training. My trainer, Ann Jackson ( http://www.annjackson.ca ) tells me that training is an intense time, especially for a puppy, because it makes their mind work, which can tire them out more than a wild-dog run through the park.

This week's lesson plan:

1. Refine the following commands: down, down/stay, stand, take it (he takes, but does not hold), other paw (opposite of shake a paw), and give it.

2. Learn the following commands: touch, kiss, puppy pushup (actually, that isn't the command, it is just a rapid series of the following commands: stand-sit-down-sit-stand)

3. Practise toy retrieval by name (Get your rope! Get your sock! Get your squeaker).

I'll try to give a report card every few weeks.